Sorry, but Some Hearts wasn't even nominated for best album by the CMA,that was an all boys club won by Brad Paisley. I would definitely take Female Vocalist of the Year & the Horizon Award over Best Album though. But to your other point I agree that AI has opened up the eyes of the music industry to some true talent.

Happy Anniversary Carrie. It was one year ago today, Nov. 15, 2005, that your album Some Hearts hit the stands. I’m sure you were like any other new recording artist & had worries that no one would buy it & you would fade away into anonymity. Well, hindsight being what it is, all those fears were for naught. Some Hearts continues to sell amazingly well, having been certified at 4X Platinum just last week. Winning the Horizon Award & Female Vocalist of the Year awards at last weeks CMA Show certainly didn’t hurt. Faith Hill & her badly timed “joke” may have stirred a lot of controversy, but it also provided you with a lot of positive publicity. All these things combined to give you another absolutely incredible week on the charts. Some Hearts moves up 11 spaces on the Billboard Top 200 this week finishing back in the Top 10 by ending at #8. And you remain in the Top 5 of the Country charts falling from #2 to #3. For the week you sold right around 72,000 units which puts the total out the door sales somewhere north of 3.7 million. As I say Carrie, Happy Anniversary. Your fans are proud of what you have been able to accomplish in your first year. May you have many more.

8. Carrie Underwood 72,000 +59%

Before He Cheats is celebrating the third week at #1 on the Country Charts. A fourth week is a possibility but those Flatts boys are creeping up fast, so it may be close.

11/15/06
Faith Hill's reaction brings up questions
Some view it as a joke, others as short-sighted

By Tara Seetharam
At the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 6, the 2005 American Idol winner Carrie Underwood was crowned Female Vocalist of the Year - much to Faith Hill's fake dismay.

Upon hearing Underwood's name, Hill looked straight at the camera, threw up her arms, mouthed the word "what" and stormed off in an apparent fit of anger. A day later, in response to the backlash that followed, Hill issued a statement claiming the incident was a joke: "The idea that I would act disrespectful towards a fellow musician is unimaginable to me. Carrie is a talented and deserving female vocalist of the year." Her manager as well as the CMA president echoed this by describing the episode as a "playful moment."

Besides raising the obvious question - what public figure would choose to be playful upon the very moment of her nationally televised defeat? - the occurrence sheds justifiable negative light on Hill. If the incident was a joke, it was selfish and inappropriate. If it wasn't a joke, it was a tasteless outburst. Regardless, it was a poor move.

Many fans have excused Hill's reaction as natural tendency. Hill is human, yes, but she's human with a publicist and over a decade of experience in the entertainment field. Though endowed with a natural gift, no doubt, Hill's career has been partly based on her down-to-earth character, an image shared by her husband, Tim McGraw. If she wanted to preserve this persona of the sweetest Southern belle of country music, she might have taken into consideration not only the quite obvious effect her reaction would have on her image, but also the attention it would steal from the award's deserving recipient.

Contrast this with Martina McBride, a four-time female vocalist of the year, who maintained a pleasant smile during the announcement, or with Gretchen Wilson, the reigning female vocalist of the year, who clapped whole-heartedly.

Or even, compare it with Underwood, whose acceptance speech rang with sincere gratitude and raw emotion. During the past year, and while her album has gone four-times platinum, newcomer Underwood has been nothing but gracious, appreciative of and at times awe-struck by her proximity to the musicians she has long idolized. On more than one occasion, she has cried authentic I-can't-believe-this-is-happening tears during a performance. Maybe it's because Underwood is new to the limelight, or maybe it's inherent; whatever the reason, while Hill may claim the cookie-cutter image of humility, Underwood personifies it.

To add fuel to the fire, fellow country music legend LeAnn Rimes quickly came to Hill's defense, posting on her official Web site: "I don't think Faith was angry about her loss, she probably felt, as I did, that Carrie has not paid her dues long enough to fully deserve that award...please cut [Hill] some slack!" The post was deleted soon after and replaced with a more benign message.

She was smart to retract. Rimes was a mere 14 years old when she earned a Grammy for best new artist in 1997. I don't doubt her older competitors wondered if she had paid her dues. The word "dues" is thrown around so often in the music world that I wonder: What exactly does it mean? Is it years of rejection? Years of playing low-key gigs? Years of failed contracts? And how do any of these things make an artist more talented, more deserving of an award that highlights musical ability and musical ability only?

Additionally, the Female Vocalist of the Year award takes into account a strict time frame. The award this year was based on the time period between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006. So, the dues Hill, McBride and Wilson paid prior to July 1 are really of no importance. Though she lacks a trail of failed attempts, Underwood had an amazing year, including three Billboard Music awards, two Country Music Television awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and a successful tour, She has truly showcased her incredible voice. Let it be.

Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes are two of my musical idols; they are brilliant performers and country music legends, each with a tremendous gift for music. But that's not to say that a new artist, especially one as talented and as authentic as Underwood, can't make a place for herself, challenge the reigning queens of country and, every once and awhile, outshine them. If Hill is as genuine as she is portrayed, she will quickly realize there is a thing or two she can learn from her fellow musician, Underwood, in terms of grace, dignity and humility.

Story Summary:
Country music star Carrie Underwood will be the featured performer for the 10th annual, nationally televised Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game half-time show to officially kick off the annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Christmas fundraising campaign for 2006.

Since 1997, the Red Kettle campaign has been launched each year as part of a special live concert at Texas Stadium during the traditional NFL holiday game, this year pitting the Cowboys against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This decade long tradition has raised nearly $900 million benefiting more than 335 million people with help from renowned entertainers such as Reba McEntire, Jessica Simpson, Toby Keith, Destiny’s Child, and Sheryl Crow among others. As part of this year’s celebration, Ms. Underwood will perform songs from her quadruple platinum album, Some Hearts, to help to raise money in the kettles for holiday toys, coats, rental and utility assistance, and many other Salvation Army social services.

The Red Kettle Campaign has been one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States since its inception in 1891. Every holiday season, more than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers fan out across the country to ring bells and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red kettles from holiday shoppers. Last year, the campaign raised a record $111 million.

I just wanted to remind everyonre that Carrie is nominated for 2 AMA awards, & she will be performing tomorrow night. Below is a bit of info on what she will be doing. Looks like it may be a Carrie night.

On November 21st, Carrie will appear on the 2006 American Music Awards telecast, where she’s up for two more honors, nominated as Favorite Female Artist – Country, as well as Favorite New Breakthrough Artist (all genres), sharing Breakthrough category nominations with Chamillionaire and the Pussycat Dolls. Underwood will perform a medley of her singles, “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” and “Before He Cheats.” Topping the charts with “Before He Cheats” made Carrie the first artist in more than 14 years to see her first three country singles hit #1 – and they all hit the top in 2006. As of this week, Carrie has spent a total of nine weeks at #1 on the country airplay charts – more than any other artist this year – and she is the only female artist to top Billboard’s country airplay chart in 2006.

By the way as of last nights final weekly update Before He Cheats will be the #1 single for the 4th week. Meaning that in the 53 weeks since the release of Some Hearts Carrie has now had the #1 single for 11 weeks. Pretty awesome stuff.

Ryan Seacrest is hosting the Red Carpet show on E!. He just interviewed Carrie & asked her about the Faith Hill thing. She confirmed that Faith had called her that night to appologize & explain, & Carrie says that all is good. She looks good again tonight, no surprise there. He also interviewed Kat just after Carrie.